Google+ Hashtags: Great News for Content Owners

Twitter was first to introduce a hashtag for pigeonholing a particular subject, by putting it before a word or a number of words. It was presumably done to draw more individuals into discussions without distraction.

In May of this year, Google+ also began circulating its posts with hashtags in front of words. Now, four months later, Google is again in the news for supporting hashtags in its search results. Let’s look at how this will impact you.

Welcome Plus on Google

It’s time you greeted Google+ content on Google, with the help of just a small #. Google took the plunge Sept. 25 by supporting the hashtag for optimizing its SEPRs, primarily in Google+ posts.

Zaheed Sabur, the Google engineer who made the announcement regarding the Google+ hashtag, said, this time, it is more than just users falling deeper into the discussions. This feature is not only about revealing Google+ posts — Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, etc. also appear at the end of the search results.

So far, this service is available only to American and Canadian users of Google.com and Google.ca respectively. Sabur said the service will soon be made available tor users in other countries too.

A Win-Win Game For Google

Sabur also gave details about how the hashtag will work and what results it will bring for users:Hashtagging any search item on Google will bring results showing Google+ posts at the right side of the results. You assumed it right. Google is promoting its Google+ content. The users are going to use it as long as they do not mind inserting a #.The Google+ content that appears in the search results can be further seen only if Google+ users have either shared their posts personally with you or shared them publicly. Google encourages you to log in for the best results. This means you need to be a member of Google+, just the way you are on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn and othersOn Google+, you will see search results from that site as well as other social sites for the hashtags you search for. This shows Google is not being partial.

You Can’t Win Them All

The success of the hashtag will depend not only on if users will actually insert a # in their posts, but in how keen they are on making use of Google+ content. There are still a large number of people who are not active on Google+. More than this, do they want to read the posts on Google+ until somebody they know turns up in the search results?

Many see Google+ as a stage presence by Google, for Google.

A Rewarding Time For Content Owners

The results of the Google+ hashtag could be awesome for users and content owners alike. They will make search easier for users, but the real winner will be the content owners.

Content writers will be able to plug in for a longer period of time with the hashtag. It will enhance their visibility by appearing in the search results directly, making them more popular both on and off their networks.

This is also the time when the content shared on Google+ will be exposed to better SEO rankings. It is important to ensure, however that this does not depreciate content quality.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

Virtue is its own reward, but the brands, that are being referred or cross-referred in the Google+ posts will have a major impact on traffic. It is going to affect the customers’ choice of buying, their impressions, and ultimately whether to be in the buying circle or not. In a way: Bad reviews versus big businesses. Bad reviews will, of course, be bad for brands. But, those brands that are not being referenced can relax for some time until they start appearing in the search results.

Are You New to the Game?

If you are still sitting on the fence, and watching this new # play, then it’s time for action. Greet, observe and join up. This is how it’s going to work.

Being on Google+ is going to mean a lot from now on. There is no doubt about it — this will increase traffic.

This will be a word-of-mouth marketing of the brands, giving rise to some new ways of content marketing. Chances are, the day may not be far away when Google+ posts will be a major influencer in the world of business.

Summing Up

Google has carefully planned its hashtag service. It is still in its infancy, however, and people will be awaiting the final results.

Regardless, it’s sure to give Google a new lease on life. Speaking at Social Media Week in London, just a day after the launch of the service, Google U.K.’s head of agency Matt Bush affirmed ‘a bigger picture’ for Google+. He said the latest Google+ user figures would “blow your mind.” He further predicted that the “over time” users would begin to see the benefits of engaging through the platform.

Alan Smith is an avid tech blogger with vast experience in various IT domains, currently associated with SPINX Inc., a Los Angeles-based Web design and development company. Follow Alan on @alan_smith80.

This article was taken from: Alan Smith is an avid tech blogger with vast experience in various IT domains, currently associated with SPINX Inc., a Los Angeles-based Web design and development company. Follow Alan on @alan_smith80.